A Wellness Letter from Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, Continued

The College is developing a comprehensive program that will both transform the physical education curriculum, and infuse its infrastructure and co-curricular activities with innovative programs and a state-of-the-art facility to promote wellness as a lifestyle.

Curriculum Enhancement

The Physical Education Department is redesigning its courses and expanding its offerings to emphasize those designed to improve fitness levels and introduce students to wellness activities that can be sustained for a lifetime.

Renovation of the Colleges’ Gymnasium – Read Hall:

The College is currently raising funds to renovate Read Hall, which was built in the 1950s, to make it a state-of-the-art fitness facility to support our comprehensive wellness program. The goal is to begin the renovation in the summer of 2013, with occupancy set for the fall of 2014. To date, Spelman has raised almost $6 million towards the total $13 million needed for this effort.

Co-Curricular Activities:

Spelman is moving away from intercollegiate athletics to fitness / wellness / intramural programs, emphasizing those activities that career women are likely to maintain for a lifetime - tennis, golf, swimming, yoga, Pilates, running and walking, for example:

This fall, the college launched the Wellness Ambassadors pilot, a health-focused initiative, which helps students identify and change the attitudes and behaviors that contribute to poor lifestyle habits and incorporate a long-term exercise regimen into their lifestyle.

I am excited about what this new direction at Spelman offers, as the institution embarks on an effective and affordable model of health and wellness education that can be replicated at other colleges and universities -- not just for those serving Black women, but for all serving a generation of young people headed on a path toward physical disability and shortened life spans.

At today’s convocation “Black Women and Wellness: Why We Can’t Wait,” I will formally announce our focus on this initiative to the campus. I hope you can attend. If not, please stay abreast of ongoing activities by checking www.spelman.edu or your Spelman e-mail for updates.